NASA ISS On-Orbit Status 24 November 2011
All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except those noted previously or below. US Holiday: Thanksgiving. Crew off duty.
CDR Burbank checked the running BCAT-6 (Binary Colloidal Alloy Test-6)-Phase Separation experiment for camera & flashlight battery charge. Later, Dan powered down the payload since the Sample 3 run was complete. Hardware components remain in place for the next run at some future time. [The Nikon D2Xs camera with EarthKAM software running with the Intervalometer on SSC-18 (Station Support Computer 18) has been taking automated flash photography of Sample 3 since 11/10, first one photo every hour, later changed to 2 hrs. Camera battery change and Intervalometer restart was done three times a day. Objective of BCAT-6 Phase Separation: to gain unique insights into how gas and liquid phases separate and come together in microgravity. These fundamental studies on the underlying physics of fluids could provide the understanding needed to enable the development of less expensive, longer shelf-life household products, foods, and medicines.]
After wakeup, FE-1 Shkaplerov performed the routine inspection of the SM (Service Module) PSS Caution & Warning panel as part of regular Daily Morning Inspection.
FE-2 Ivanishin completed the daily routine servicing of the SOZh system (Environment Control & Life Support System, ECLSS) in the SM. [Regular daily SOZh maintenance consists, among else, of checking the ASU toilet facilities, replacement of the KTO & KBO solid waste containers, replacement of EDV-SV waste water and EDV-U urine containers and filling EDV-SV, KOV (for Elektron), EDV-ZV & EDV on RP flow regulator.]
The CDR installed the three PaRIS (Passive Rack Isolation System) lock-down alignment guides on the rack to protect its ARIS (Active Rack Isolation System) from external loading (dynamic disturbances).
Afterwards, Dan continued his review/study of reference material for the upcoming ICV (Integrated Cardiovascular) Echo Scan session, his first, today focusing on the HRF HM-2 (Holter Monitor 2) for the ECG (Electrocardiography). [The goal of the ICV experiment is to quantify the extent, time course, and clinical significance of cardiac atrophy and to identify its mechanisms. Each experiment session consists of two separate but related activities over a 1 week time period: an ultrasound echo scan & an ambulatory monitoring session. The sessions will be scheduled at or around FD14, FD30, FD75, FD135 and R-15. The FD75 echo scan will include an exercise component with a second scan (subset of the first) completed within 5 minutes after the end of exercise. The Ambulatory Monitoring session includes preparing and donning three different pieces of hardware: the ESA Cardiopres (to continuously monitor blood pressure for 24 hrs), the HRF HM2 (for recording ECG for 48 hrs), and two Actiwatches (hip/waist and ankle, to monitor activity levels over 48 hrs). Some of the preparatory activities may be timelined several days before donning and may be performed by another crewmember. During the first 24 hrs (while all devices are worn), ten minutes of quiet, resting breathing will be timelined to collect data for a specific analysis. Crew nominal exercise will also need to include at least 10 minutes at a heart rate >= 120 beats per minute. After 24 hrs, the Cardiopres will be doffed and the HM2 HiFi CF Card and AA Battery will be changed out to allow continuation of the session for another 24 hours. After data collection is complete, data from all devices (two Actiwatches, two HM2 HiFi CF Cards, and the Cardiopres) will be downloaded to the HRF PC1.]
Burbank also had another time slot set aside for making entries in his personal Journal.
The crew worked out with their regular 2-hr physical exercise protocol on the CEVIS cycle ergometer with vibration isolation (CDR), TVIS treadmill with vibration isolation & stabilization (FE-1, FE-2), and ARED advanced resistive exercise device (CDR, FE-1, FE-2).
Russian Prop Transfer: TsUP/Moscow-controlled propellant transfer continues tonight at 3:20pm-11:00pm EST, today from the FGB K3 tank to the SM BG2 fuel tank. No crew involvement required.
CEO (Crew Earth Observation) targets uplinked today were Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (WORLD CAPITALS COLLECTION SITE: Looking a touch left for this capital city of 5.25 million people. The industrial areas of Riyadh, with some of the world’s largest factories related to oil production, lie on the northeast side of the city [far side of the city as seen from the ISS orbit] and contrast with the residential areas. Desalinated drinking water for the city is pumped from the Persian Gulf 470 km distant), Port Louis, Mauritius (WORLD CAPITALS COLLECTION SITE: Looking just left of track for Mauritius. Greater Port Louis has about 150,000 inhabitants and is located on the northwest coast of this volcanic island in the western Indian Ocean), Dakar, Senegal (WORLD CAPITALS COLLECTION SITE: Looking right: the city is located at the end of the characteristic cape. Greater Dakar has an estimated population of 2.45 million), Luquillo Forest, Puerto Rico (looking immediately right for this forest site, located on the easy-to-identify east end of Puerto Rico. Shooting between cloud patches using the long lens settings for detail to document the status of this Long Term Ecological Research Site [LTER]), and Sevilleta Wildlife Area, New Mexico (looking right for the green strip of the vegetated Rio Grande floodplain. The Sevilleta LTER Project is located about 80 kilometers south of Albuquerque, NM. The Refuge is located at the intersection of several major biotic zones: Chihuahuan Desert grassland and shrub land to the south, Great Plains grassland to the north, Pinon-Juniper woodland in the upper elevations of the neighboring mountains, Colorado Plateau shrub-steppe to the west, and riparian vegetation along the Rio Grande Valley).
ISS Orbit (as of this morning, 4:40am EST [= epoch])
* Mean altitude – 391.7 km
* Apogee height – 412.5 km
* Perigee height – 370.8 km
* Period — 92.39 min.
* Inclination (to Equator) — 51.64 deg
* Eccentricity — 0.003078
* Solar Beta Angle — -24.7 deg (magnitude decreasing)
* Orbits per 24-hr. day — 15.58
* Mean altitude loss in the last 24 hours – 108 m
* Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. 98) — 74,592
* Time in orbit (station) – 4752 days
* Time in orbit (crews, cum.) – 4039 days
Significant Events Ahead (all dates Eastern Time and subject to change):
————–Three-crew operations————-
11:30/11 — ISS Reboost (SM main engine)
12/21/11 — Soyuz TMA-03M/29S launch – O.Kononenko (CDR-31)/A.Kuipers/D.Pettit — (Target Date)
12/23/11 — Soyuz TMA-03M/29S docking (MRM1) — (Target Date)
————–Six-crew operations—————-
TBD — Progress M-13M/45P undock
TBD — Progress M-14M/46P launch
TBD — Progress M-14M/46P docking (DC-1)
xx/xx/12 — SpaceX Falcon 9/Dragon — (Under Review)
02/29/12 — ATV3 launch readiness
TBD — Soyuz TMA-22/28S undock/landing (End of Increment 30)
————–Three-crew operations————-
03/xx/12 — Soyuz TMA-04M/30S launch – G.Padalka (CDR-32)/J.Acaba/K.Volkov — (Target Date)
04/xx/12 — Soyuz TMA-04M/30S docking (MRM2) — (Target Date)
————–Six-crew operations—————-
05/05/12 — 3R Multipurpose Laboratory Module (MLM) w/ERA – launch on Proton (under review)
05/06/12 — Progress M-14M/46P undock
05/07/12 — 3R Multipurpose Laboratory Module (MLM) – docking (under review)
05/xx/12 — Soyuz TMA-03M/29S undock/landing (End of Increment 31)
————–Three-crew operations————-
05/xx/12 – Soyuz TMA-05M/31S launch – S.Williams (CDR-33)/Y.Malenchenko/A.Hoshide
05/xx/12 – Soyuz TMA-05M/31S docking
————–Six-crew operations—————-
09/xx/12 — Soyuz TMA-04M/30S undock/landing (End of Increment 32)
————–Three-crew operations————-
10/xx/12 — Soyuz TMA-06M/32S launch – K.Ford (CDR-34)/O.Novitskiy/E.Tarelkin
10/xx/12 – Soyuz TMA-06M/32S docking
————–Six-crew operations————-
11/xx/12 — Soyuz TMA-05M/31S undock/landing (End of Increment 33)
————–Three-crew operations————-
11/xx/12 — Soyuz TMA-07M/33S launch – C.Hadfield (CDR-35)/T.Mashburn/R.Romanenko
12/xx/12 – Soyuz TMA-07M/33S docking
————–Six-crew operations————-
03/xx/13 — Soyuz TMA-06M/32S undock/landing (End of Increment 34)
————–Three-crew operations————-
03/xx/13 – Soyuz TMA-08M/34S launch – P.Vinogradov (CDR-36)/C.Cassidy/A.Misurkin
03/xx/13 – Soyuz TMA-08M/34S docking
————–Six-crew operations————-
05/xx/13 – Soyuz TMA-07M/33S undock/landing (End of Increment 35)
————–Three-crew operations————-
05/xx/13 – Soyuz TMA-09M/35S launch – M.Suraev (CDR-37)/K.Nyberg/L.Parmitano
05/xx/13 – Soyuz TMA-09M/35S docking
————–Six-crew operations————-
09/xx/13 – Soyuz TMA-08M/34S undock/landing (End of Increment 36)
————–Three-crew operations————-
09/xx/13 – Soyuz TMA-10M/36S launch – M.Hopkins/TBD (CDR-38)/TBD
09/xx/13 – Soyuz TMA-10M/36S docking
————–Six-crew operations————-
11/xx/13 – Soyuz TMA-09M/35S undock/landing (End of Increment 37)
————–Three-crew operations————-
11/xx/13 – Soyuz TMA-11M/37S launch – K.Wakata (CDR-39)/R.Mastracchio/TBD
11/xx/13 – Soyuz TMA-11M/37S docking
————–Six-crew operations————-
03/xx/14 – Soyuz TMA-10M/36S undock/landing (End of Increment 38)
————–Three-crew operations————-
